In July of 2004, Bob and Buddy purchased 40 acres of land in Gainesville, Virginia, with the plan to build a new, large nursery to serve the growing customer base in the western part of Northern Virginia. In October, 12 members of the Merrifield Garden Center team embarked on a week-long trip through Europe visiting garden centers and touring greenhouse manufacturers. They returned inspired to build one of the largest garden center facilities in the United States with a state of the art store and greenhouse.